Ever since it was first formed as the California Basketball Association in 1952, the West Coast Conference has prided itself on its collection of like-minded, regional universities.
“In this day of institution realignment, we’re going against the grain,” WCC commissioner Stu Jackson said Friday night, before the University of San Diego took on UC San Diego at LionTree Arena. “We’ve always stayed true to who we are. WCC members have common backgrounds, goals and commitments.
“Athletically, we are a basketball-centered conference. Basketball fuels what we do in our other sports. But our alignments go well beyond basketball and athletics. It’s academics and values. Historically, our members have paid keen attention to student-athlete welfare.
“And any new member we add has to fit into our guidelines. Our presidents are adamant about that. There is equity in who we are.”
Which is what brought Jackson UCSD’s campus for Friday night’s crosstown basketball match between the Tritons and Toreros.
The game was more than a match between two of the city’s three Division I basketball teams.
It was a preview of the WCC’s future.
A public institution and one of the best academic colleges in America, UCSD will officially join the WCC during the 2027-2028 academic year. And while the UCSD student population dwarfs that of current WCC universities, all of which are private and seven of which are Catholic, Jackson says the Tritons’ core values are aligned with other WCC members.
“Without question, UCSD fits into the WCC historic blend,” said Jackson. “Regionally and academically, it fits our mold. Academically, UCSD enhances our conference.”
For decades, the WCC was an eight-team regional conference across three states – California, Oregon and Washington. That began to change when Gonzaga, one of five Jesuit institutions within the league, looked elsewhere. But the WCC responded by adding teams that Jackson says fit the conference’s bonds.
UCSD will become the 11th member in 2027-2028.
“Our presidents would like us to grow to a 12-team conference while staying with an 18-game schedule,” said Jackson.
At the heart of the WCC are seven “historic” members: USD; San Francisco, Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara in the Bay Area; Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles and Portland in Oregon. Seattle University and Pacific have rejoined the WCC, while both UCSD and the University of Denver are being added.
“We are thrilled that UC San Diego is coming in,” said Jackson. “It’s the perfect addition.
“The Tritons had just started their first year in the Big West when we first started talking to (former) athletic director Earl Edwards. UCSD made it clear that when they entered the WCC, it wasn’t going to be just as a participant. They wanted to enter as a top tier team. There is a real commitment at the highest level here.”
The Tritons, of course, reached the NCAA Tournament last season as Big West champions in their first season of eligibility. And Jackson was on hand last week to see UCSD defeat Tulane in Henderson, Nev.
“As I watched the men’s and women’s basketball teams last year, it was clear those two programs are solid,” said Jackson. “And they will be competitive in other sports.”
Jackson also believes UCSD will be a plus for the WCC’s television exposure on ESPN and the CBS Sports Network. “Although the contracts extend through the end of the 2027 season, we’ll likely talk extension next year,” said Jackson. “We have no plan to change.”
One of the strengths of the WCC television contract is the annual timing of the WCC Tournament’s championship game as the first major conference to hold a title game.
“We’re all alone,” Jackson said, “and we’re pretty happy with the numbers that game has produced.”